Page 15 - EN-Youth Report

The conflict has killed over 350,000 people, including 100,000 civilians and caused a large-scale
displacement with a large spill over to several of the neighboring countries, as close to 5.6 million
Syrians are residing in neighboring countries, with Turkey at the highest case-load of 3.5 million Syrian
refugees, followed by Lebanon and Jordan with respectively 1 million and 659,000 registered refugees
from Syria, the latter two being a greatly underestimated figure.

Efforts to reach a political solution that leads to a political transition have yet been unsuccessful.
Geneva peace talks on Syria (an UN-backed conference for facilitating a political transition led by UN
Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura) have not been successful in reaching a diplomatic resolution.

Also, in 2017, Russia initiated a parallel track for negotiations focusing on cease fire in Astana,
Kazakhstan, with Iran, and Turkey as guarantors, between the Syrian government and leaders from
the armed opposition factions, which resulted in a cease-fire agreement and the establishment of
four de-escalation zones. However, shortly after the cease-fire was announced, attacks by Syrian
government forces against rebel-held areas in the de-escalation zones resumed. On February 19,
2018, Syrian forces backed by Russian warplanes escalated the offensive on Eastern Ghouta, killing
hundreds of people within days. On February 24, the UN Security Council - including Russia - voted
in favor of a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. But Syrian forces continued its ground offensive
to retake control of the area, which was achieved by April 13, 2018.

Based on the successes achieved by pro-regime forces on the Eastern Ghouta frontline, the regime
and its allies have also threatened areas in Southern Damascus, and the Homs countryside enclave
and Eastern Qalamoun with similar campaigns. In addition, regime forces launched an offensive on
Eastern Syria by mid-June 2018, gaining significant ground by having gained control over all Eastern
and key terrain of Western Daraa, including the strategic Nassib crossing, by July 3 of the same year.

15 | MAPPING YOUTH SITUATION IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA